Mother
by f3296
Summary: trapped in a cell together, Michelangelo and Karai find out they have something something in common; they both want a mom. 2k12 verse, one-shot. Family based story, fluff.


Karai stomped her foot against the large metal door of the Kraang holding cells. She growled, mentally kicking herself for allowing herself to fall for one of the Kraang's tricks. She had them in the cellars of her fathers home, working on whatever their strange little minds were up to and to continue their plans, they had to remove her from the area. She thought that there was an intruder on the top floor, but instead was caught and put in the cell.

She punched at the door again, snarling and shouting at the top of her lungs that she will rip the little brains to pieces. With a huff, she looked over her shoulder, eyes falling on the small form in the corner of the cell. Michelangelo had his knees up to his chest, looking up at her with curiosity. He was already here when she was rudely thrown in here and since she has occupied the small area, he has neglected to say a word to her and she has been here for hours. Her irritation was not just at the fact she was a prisoner, but that the turtle kept staring at her. When she thought back, the only ones out of the brothers she had interacted with were Leonardo, Raphael, and somewhat of Donatello. Not this one; the youngest. Karai tried to recall his name but couldn't put her finger on it.

His large blue eyes were filled with innocence and happiness, not even effected by their current situation; like a game perhaps. She narrowed her eyes and banged the flat part of her fist to the wall, making Mikey flinch.  
"What's your problem?" She demanded. Mikey just sat there, a ghost of a smile on his face. She marched over to him, looming over his prone form, looking down at him.

"What? Too stupid to speak?" She asked harshly. A smirk bloomed on his face.

"No, I speak fine, it's just fun watching you get all mad. Your like Raph with your anger." He quirked. Karai huffed before sitting over on the opposite side of the cell, crossing her arms across her chest while still glaring at the turtle across from her. Something about him was strange, not the same feeling she got with the other turtles. She didn't sense a urge of dominance or understanding, just a playful spirit. Just a child. It was a strange feeling to have considering she had spent her life with power hungry ninjas and a very powerful father. To be around a boy her age but with no eagerness for power, knowledge, or strength, it was strange.

"So, what are you doing in here?" She asked roughly, still heated from trying to escape and demand release. Mikey's head suddenly perked, smile growing a little wider.

"Oh! Me and my bros were trying to stop the Kraang cuz they got some weird machine over in central park. I...uh kinda got side tracked and the next thing I knew I was being dragged in here." Mikey said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. Karai crooked a brow at the response, surprised by the easy capture. An idea came to mind and Karai smirked.

"Don't worry about it. My father will hang them over the fire place when he finds out they put me in here." She said proudly. She watched Mikey's expression falter slightly, taken back from the sudden mention of her father.

"Your dad...The Shredder right?" He asked quietly, twisting his feet on top of one another, tipping the edge of his fingers together on his raised knees. Karai can see the nervousness written on his face, curious by the sudden change.

"Yea didn't you know that?" She asked. Mikey flicked his eyes up at her and gave her a genuine smile.

"Yea I knew. Just weird to think how nice you are and how mean he is." Mikey said. Somehow Karai felt offended by the obvious compliment. She didn't want to be known as the foot ninja who was "Nice", she wanted control and power just like her father. She wanted revenge on the man who took something special from her away. That then reminded her how Mikey shared the same father as the rest of his brothers; Hamato Yoshi. She suddenly felt her blood boil at the thought of the rat. The stories her father has told her for years, replaying in her head over and over again, only to continue to feed the fire that fueled her sudden anger and hatred.

She had almost completely forgotten that this young boy was a disciple of the treacherous ninja master, one he called son.

"Don't call me nice. I am not something so weak." She barked but it didn't affect Michelangelo one bit. Instead, he brought his knees down and leaned a little closer to Karai, intrigued by the conversation between the two.

"Being nice isn't a weakness. It shows compassion and respect. Master Splinter always says that-"

"Don't speak that rats name in front of me!" Karai yelled, making Mikey snap his mouth shut, eyes wide with shock.

"That.._Murderer_ does not deserve any recognition!" She demanded. Mikey stared for a moment before finally down casting his eyes to the floor. Karai's features soften and felt a twinge of regret ofr yelling at Mikey but not enough to fully let her guard down.

For a while they were quiet, Mikey still facing the floor and Karai watching him intently. Mikey licked his lips.

"Who did he kill?" He asked only above a whisper and barely anything above that. Karai felt the lump in her throat build. The kid didn't know. He seemed to be oblivious to everything.

"My mother. He killed my mother." She growled out, hiding the emotion that was starting to form in her heart and wanting to be announced through her mouth. She saw Mikey tense at the response, and she could have sworn she heard a sniffle coming from the small terrapin.

He looked back up at her and gave her a smile, eyes glassy with un-shed tears. Her heart felt like it tugged looking at the sadness that consumed the twin orbs looking at her.

"I'm sorry you lost your mom." Mikey gulped down his emotion and smiled wider, closing his eyes, giving her the most genuine happiness he could muster, allowing the loose tears to fall down his cheeks.

"If it makes you feel better, I never had a mom." Mikey opened his eyes to see the shock on Karai's face and looked down at his hands. He huffed lightly, keeping the smile on his face, forcing it stay strong.

"It's funny, this conversation we're having reminds me of a memory of mine. Do you mind if I tell you? I mean if you don't wanna hear it, I won't bore you with it." Mikey spoke, never lifting his head to meet Karai's burning gaze. For a moment, Karai contemplated on whether to allow Mikey to tell his tale or tell him to shove it. But, her mind wasn't working; she spoke from her heart.

"I don't mind." She said in a small voice, eyes never leaving Mikey. Mikey kept looking down at his hands before looking up at the wall. Karai could see the smile, smaller then it was but still there. Karai also took a mental note of the small streak of tears down his cheek.

"When I was smaller, I don't know five maybe? I uh, I went out on my own. I was mad at my brothers because they were teasing me about a T.V. Show I use to watch. I can't even remember it now." Mikey laughed a little bit. "All I remember was that it was a family. There was a brother, a sister, a dad and a mom." He took another pause, swallowing hard when his tongue started to feel like cotton.

"They were teasing me because I said that we needed a mommy. They thought it was stupid but I really wanted one. So I left to go find one." By this time, Karai was paying full attention to Michelangelo's tale, picturing Mikey going out on his own, out to the surface and walking amongst the humans. She was snapped back to reality when Mikey started to speak again.

"At the time, I didn't really understand the dangers of being up on top without supervision. I honestly didn't care. I was determined to bring home a mom. So, in the middle of the night I went looking." He looked at her, eyes locked.

"I found a lady. She was really pretty and looked really nice." His smile finally dropped and looked back down at the floor. "She screamed when I asked if she wanted to be my mom. She tried to hit me with her purse and told me to get away. She called me a freak." Karai watched the small tear drop down the floor, sparkling in the little light that was provided. Mikey brought his hand up and wiped away the remaining tears and looked back at her and laughed.

"I ended up running home and crying my eyes out to Master Splinter. He told me it was normal to want something like that in my life." They were silent again, Mikey from wanting to wait for Karai to possibly to respond, and from Karai processing what she was just told. Mikey cleared his throat.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though I will never have a mom no matter how much I might want one, I have a father that loves and cares about me. He took me and my brothers in when he didn't have to and he trained us to be the best in Ninjistu and just a better person in general. No, I don't have a mom, but I have a pretty awesome dad." Mikey grinned widely at her. Karai sat there, set back from his change in character so quickly. She thought back to her own childhood, how many times she ran to her father sobbing for comfort, wishing for a mother to hold and call her own. She remembered all the times he would say to suck it up and move on. There were very few memories with just her and her father that were tender and meaningful.

"That's why I also think that he never killed your mom." Mikey suddenly spoke, making Karai lift her head automatically and she glared at him.

"My father wouldn't lie to me about something like that." She told him. His gaze on her was different. It was filled with concern and stringed with a questioning gaze.

"Unless he was hiding something." He said quietly. That one stung in the heart. The thought of her father lying about something like that was insane, but not impossible. Her father was known to be a mischievous man, working in the shadows, eluding people to do what he wants. It was unfortunately, a strong possibility.

The sudden sound the doors lock caught both of their attentions. They watched as the door opened to view Leo, Raph, and Donnie standing there, eyes wide to see the two in the cell.

Mikey immediately jumped to his feet and ran over to his brothers. Karai remained on the floor, looking up to lock eyes with Leonardo before quickly turning away.

"Boy am I glad to see you guys!" Mikey said excited, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Mikey, next time you wanna get captured, do it closer to home. We were lucky to find you!" Raph exaggerated.

"Hey it's not like I asked to be taken!" Mikey felt a presence behind him to see Leo coming in between Mikey and the view of Karai.

"Mikey, did she do anything?" He asked, pulling out one of his swords and pointed it at Karai who finally made it up to her feet.

"What? No, we were just talking." He turned to see Donnie was standing there with disbelief. "Honest." Donnie sighed.

"I believe you Mikey. Let's just get home before Master Splinter get's worried." Donnie said, trying to turn.

"What about her?" Raph asked, pulling out his Sais. Donnie turned back and remembered the threat and pulled out his bo-staff. Karai looked in between the brothers, all so protective of each other, fearing having to worry their father. This was family.

She crouched before flipping above the four boys and headed towards the exit.

"Sorry, I don't have time to play today, maybe next time." She said with a dark grin. She glanced to see Mikey watching her leave. His story in a way touched her. She turned back and kept walking. In a way, she felt jealous. Her whole life she was convinced that the right way was the way her father taught her. The only right family was like her and her father. Looking at Mikey with her brothers, hearing how caring their sensei was, it hurt. She knew saying I love you mom was a privilege, but to say I love you to someone from family in general, some people weren't so lucky. She felt a single tear run down her face when she thought about it. Her "Father" Has never said I love you.

* * *

_**A/N: Just a quick little thing I came up with. I like the idea of Karai and Mikey actually sitting and talking for some reason and even the fact they both want a mother figure in their lives. I also made this because as a child who has lost their mom at an early age, I can relate deeply with characters and people wanting that little piece of their heart. This is just a story claiming that families come in all shapes and sizes and to be happy and grateful with who you have because some people don't have those family members in their lives anymore.**_

_**But please tell me what you think! :) Tata for now lovelies! -F.**_


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